TW202418312A - Electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device can include a core having a top core section and a bottom core section, a laminate substrate, where the laminate substrate having a void through which the top and bottom core sections are connected, and the laminate substrate having conductive traces. The electronic device can further include a base having a first side including a recess and a second side opposite the first site, at least one of the core and the laminate substrate disposed in the recess of the base, where the base has one or more terminals on the second side to electrically connect to an external device.

Description

Electronic devices

The field relates to an electronic device, and more particularly, to a signal planar transformer including a core, a laminate substrate having conductive traces, and a base.

Various electronic devices, such as signal transformers, utilize a toroidal core wrapped with copper wire, which may result in a longer manufacturing process and potentially lower reliability. These devices are typically assembled into a housing, adding additional time to the assembly process. Furthermore, these devices are typically embedded into a laminate substrate, thus requiring a longer manufacturing time. Therefore, there remains a need for improved signal transformers.

In one embodiment, an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may include a core having a top core portion and a bottom core portion, a laminate substrate, wherein the laminate substrate has a gap through which the top core portion and the bottom core portion are connected, and the laminate substrate has a conductive trace. In addition, the electronic device may include a base, the base having a first side including a recess and a second side opposite the first side, so that at least one of the core and the laminate substrate can be disposed in the recess of the base, and wherein the base has one or more terminals on the second side for electrical connection to an external device.

In another embodiment, the electronic device may include an electrical component and a base having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, so that the electrical component can be coupled to the first side of the base. The base may have one or more terminals on the second side to electrically connect to the substrate and may be configured to be surface mounted on the substrate.

In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing an electronic device is disclosed. The method may include: assembling a top core portion and a bottom core portion through a gap of a laminate substrate and around a periphery of the laminate substrate; connecting the top core portion and the bottom core portion to each other; mounting at least one of the core and the laminate substrate into a recess on a first side of a base; and connecting one or more terminals on a second side opposite the first side of the base to an external device.

These and other components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages will now become apparent upon review of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

There are several disadvantages to known signal transformers. Such disadvantages include a long and complex manufacturing process, low reliability, and the signal transformer may be damaged, for example, when the wire is subjected to thermal shock and/or mechanical scratches. Another problem is that the known coils of the signal transformer are usually assembled into a housing, which may result in the outer surface of the coil being removed. In addition, the known signal transformer is also usually buried in the top surface of the substrate, which may result in the removal of the top surface and the formation of a recess in the substrate. Therefore, there is still a need for an improved signal transformer that is simpler and more efficient to manufacture and has higher reliability and durability.

Figures 1 to 4 illustrate a schematic perspective view of a partially assembled electronic device according to various embodiments (Figure 1), a partially exploded view of the partially assembled electronic device before assembling components onto a base (Figure 2), an assembly process for forming the electronic device (Figure 3), and a schematic perspective view of the assembled and soldered electronic device of Figures 1 to 3 (Figure 4). Figure 1 illustrates a partially assembled electronic device 100, the electronic device 100 comprising: a core 102, the core 102 including a top core portion 104 and a bottom core portion 106, the core 102 serving as a core of the electronic device; a laminated substrate 108, wherein the laminated substrate 108 has a void 110 and a base 116, the top core portion 104 and the bottom core portion 106 being connected through the void 110. In various embodiments, the core 102 may include a ferrite core material. The core 102 may include an EE core, an EI core, and/or any type of similar core. The base 116 may be configured so that the partially assembled electronic device 100 can be surface mounted to an external device, such as a laminate substrate or a PCB, rather than embedding the electronic device into a recess or hole in the external device. The electronic device 100 may include a transformer (e.g., a signal planar transformer), an inductor, or any other appropriate type of electronic device. The core 102 may include an EE core, which includes two E-shaped core portions configured to be connected to each other.

The laminate substrate 108 may include a multi-layer substrate having an insulating layer patterned with conductive traces 112 (see FIG. 5 ). The laminate substrate 108 may include a printed circuit board (PCB), a ceramic substrate, or any other suitable laminate. The base 116 may serve as a body to which the core 102 and/or the laminate 108 may be mounted. In some embodiments, the core 102 and the laminate substrate 108 may be disposed in a recess 114 of the base 116. Although the recess is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , in other embodiments, the recess may not be present, or the base 116 may have any other suitable shape, including a mounting surface of a suitable shape to which the core and/or the laminate may be mounted.

The base 116 may include an insulating material, such as but not limited to a molded insulating material (e.g., a molded epoxy, such as, for example, a diallyl phthalate (DAP) molding compound). The base 116 may have one or more pins 117, such as L-shaped pins, including corresponding terminals 118 and vertical terminal leads 122. The terminals 118 may be disposed on opposite sides of the core 102 and the laminate substrate 108 to electrically connect to an external device. In some embodiments, the pins 117 may be disposed on the front side F1 of the base 116 and the back side B1 opposite to the front side F1. The core 102 and laminate substrate may then be coupled to pins 117 on the front side F1 and pins 117 on the back side B1 of the base 116. The external device may include any suitable type of equipment, such as a package substrate, such as a printed circuit board (PCB), a ceramic substrate, a lead frame substrate, etc.

In some embodiments, the core 102 and the laminate substrate 108 may be disposed in the recess 114 of the base 116 and attached to the locating posts 124 of the base 116 by epoxy or another adhesive. The locating posts 124 may include arcuate openings 136 for dispensing epoxy or another adhesive to attach the base 116, the laminate substrate 108, and the core 102. The arcuate openings 136 on the locating posts 124 may allow the epoxy or adhesive to be concentrated at the joints of the core 102.

The conductive traces 112 (see FIG. 5 ) of the laminate substrate 108 may include copper or another conductive material. The conductive traces may be formed in multiple layers of the laminate substrate 108 and may include a ring-shaped structure disposed around the void 110. The use of patterned conductive traces in the laminate substrate 108 may simplify processing compared to devices that utilize wire windings as found in other transformers. The use of conductive traces 112 in the laminate substrate 108 may provide greater reliability in preventing wire breaks in the wire windings. Additionally, the use of insulating prepreg 134 in the laminate substrate 108 may help make hi-pot performance more reliable. A withstand voltage test, also known as a dielectric strength test, determines the adequacy of electrical insulation of devices and assemblies against transient overvoltages. That is, a withstand voltage test may include applying a high voltage test to all devices for a specific time to ensure adequate insulation. The conductive trace 112 may have a width in the range of 0.10 mm to 0.30 mm, in the range of 0.125 mm to 0.275 mm, in the range of 0.15 mm to 0.25 mm, in the range of 0.175 mm to 0.225 mm, or in the range of 0.19 mm to 0.21 mm. The conductive trace 112 may also have a thickness in the range of 0.01 mm to 0.05 mm, in the range of 0.015 mm to 0.045 mm, in the range of 0.02 mm to 0.04 mm, in the range of 0.025 mm to 0.035 mm, or in the range of 0.0275 mm to 0.0325 mm.

The vertical terminal leads 122 may be configured to connect the base 116 to the laminated substrate 108. In some embodiments, the base 116 may have a plurality of vertical terminal leads 122, which may correspond to the amount of the pins 117, wherein the vertical terminal leads 122 are located on opposite sides of the base 116 and the laminated substrate 108 to connect the base 116 to the laminated substrate 108. The pins 117 may include L-shaped pins including, for example, the vertical leads 122 and the horizontal terminals 118 extending from the vertical leads 122. The vertical leads 122 and the terminals 118 may be integrally formed in a single body so that the terminals 118 may extend non-parallel from the vertical leads 122. The angle measured between the terminal 118 and the vertical lead 122 may be in the range of 45 degrees to 135 degrees, in the range of 80 degrees to 100 degrees, in the range of 85 degrees to 95 degrees, or in the range of 87 degrees to 93 degrees. The vertical terminal lead 122 of the base 116 may be connected to the laminate substrate 108 by solder or another conductive adhesive. The laminate substrate 108 may include a notch 126 for connecting the conductive trace 112 of the laminate substrate 108 to the vertical terminal lead 122 of the base 116, which in turn is connected to the terminal 118 on the bottom side of the base 116. The notch 126 may be any suitable shape to provide contact between the conductive trace 112 and the vertical terminal lead 122. In some embodiments, the notch 128 may be a semicircular cutout coated with a conductive material. In some embodiments, one or more terminals 118 of the base 116 may be configured for surface mounting on an external device. The locating post 124 may help align the notch 126 of the laminate substrate 108 with the vertical terminal lead 122 of the base 116.

By mounting the core and laminated substrate to a base, the electrical device can be surface mounted to an external device, which facilitates easier electrical connection to the external device compared to known devices. Using the base 116 as a mounting surface for the core 102 and laminated substrate 108 to connect to the pins 117 on the second side of the base can provide a universal and interchangeable device, which can shorten the manufacturing process time and increase reliability. The mounting surface of the base 116 can provide a platform for multiple electrical components (such as transformers, inductors, or any other appropriate type of electronic device), so that the configuration discussed allows connection to the bottom of the base, where pins or other leads can be located. The pins or leads can be configured and selected based on the type of application for connection to the external device.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective exploded view of a laminate substrate 108 including a top layer 128, a bottom layer 130, and at least one middle layer 132. The middle layer 132 of the laminate substrate 108 may include a conductive trace 112 including a primary winding 138 and a secondary winding 140. The primary winding 138 and the secondary winding 140 may surround the gap 110 of the laminate substrate 108. The conductive trace 112 may start and end at a notch 126 on a first side of the middle layer 132 or a second side opposite the first side. The middle layer 132 may alternate with a primary-secondary-primary winding structure to reduce leakage inductance. Whether the conductive trace 112 is located on the first side or the second side may depend on the winding structure. In some embodiments, the prepreg insulation layer 134 may be disposed between the middle layers 132 of the laminate substrate 108. In some embodiments, the insulating prepreg 134 may withstand 1 kVDC to 20 kVDC (e.g., 10 kVDC), 5 kVDC to 15 kVDC, 7.5 kVDC to 12.5 kVDC, or 9 kVDC to 11 kVDC. In other embodiments, the thickness of the insulating prepreg layer may have a minimum value of 0.050 mm to 0.50 mm, 0.10 mm to 0.40 mm, 0.15 mm to 0.30 mm, 0.175 mm to 0.25 mm, or 0.19 mm to 0.21 mm.

References throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, element, action, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification may not all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, in other embodiments, particular features, structures, elements, actions, or characteristics may be combined in any appropriate manner, including in a manner different from that shown or described. Furthermore, in various embodiments, features, structures, elements, actions, or characteristics may be combined, merged, rearranged, reordered, or omitted entirely. Thus, no single feature, structure, element, action, or characteristic, or group of features, structures, elements, actions, or characteristics, is necessary or required for every embodiment. All possible combinations and sub-combinations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

As used in this application, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like are synonymous and are used in an open-ended, inclusive manner and do not exclude additional elements, features, actions, operations, etc. In addition, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not its exclusive sense), so that, for example, when used to concatenate a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

Similarly, it should be understood that in the above description of the embodiments, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects. However, this method of disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim requires more features than are expressly stated in the claim. On the contrary, inventive aspects lie in a combination of less than all features of any single aforementioned disclosed embodiment.

As used herein, language of degree, such as the terms "approximately," "about," "generally," and "substantially," as used herein, refers to values, amounts, or properties that are close to a stated value, amount, or property, thereby still performing the desired function or achieving the desired result. For example, the terms "approximately," "about," "generally," and "substantially" may refer to amounts that are less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 1%, less than 0.1%, and less than 0.01% of a stated value. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms "substantially parallel" and "substantially parallel" refer to values, amounts, or properties that are less than or equal to 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, or 1 degree away from being completely parallel. As another example, in some embodiments, the terms "substantially vertical" and "substantially vertical" refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that deviates from perfect vertical by less than or equal to 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, or 1 degree.

The foregoing description describes various example embodiments and other illustrative but non-limiting embodiments of the invention disclosed herein. The description provides details about the combinations, modes, and uses of the disclosed invention. Other variations, combinations, modifications, equivalents, modes, uses, implementations, and/or applications of the features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments are also within the scope of the present disclosure, including those that are obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs after reading this specification. In addition, certain objects and advantages of the present invention are described herein. It should be understood that not all such objects or advantages may be achieved according to any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, one skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may achieve one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily being embodied or performed in a manner that achieves other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. In addition, in any method or procedure disclosed herein, the actions or operations constituting the method or procedure may be performed in any suitable order and are not necessarily limited to any particular order disclosed.

100: electronic device 102: core 104: top core section 106: bottom core section 108: laminate substrate 110: gap 112: conductive trace 114: recess 116: base 117: lead 118: terminal 122: vertical terminal lead 124: positioning post 126: notch 128: notch 130: bottom layer 132: middle layer 134: prepreg insulation layer 136: arc opening 138: primary winding 140: secondary winding B1: rear side F1: front side

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a partially assembled electronic device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective exploded view of a partially assembled electronic device prior to assembly of the components to a base.

FIG. 3 illustrates the assembly process of the signal transformer of FIG. 1 to FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the assembled electronic device of FIGS. 1 to 3 according to various embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the laminated substrate of FIGS. 1 to 4.

Domestic storage information (please note in the order of storage institution, date, and number) None Foreign storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) None

100: Electronic devices

102: Core

104: Top core part

106: Bottom core part

108:Laminated substrate

110: Gap

116: Base

117: Pins

118: Terminal

122: Vertical terminal lead

124: Positioning column

126: Notch

136: Arc opening

B1: posterior side

F1: front side

Claims (48)

An electronic device comprises: a core comprising a top core portion and a bottom core portion; a laminated substrate having a gap through which the top core portion and the bottom core portion are connected, the laminated substrate having conductive traces; and a base having a first side including a recess and a second side opposite to the first side, at least one of the core and the laminated substrate being disposed in the recess of the base, the base having one or more terminals on the second side for electrical connection to an external device. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a transformer, an inductor, and any other suitable type of electronic device. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the middle layer of the laminated substrate alternates in a primary-secondary-primary winding structure to reduce leakage inductance. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base has at least one vertical terminal lead configured to connect the base to the laminate substrate. An electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the base has six vertical terminal leads, three of which are respectively located on a first opposite side and a second opposite side of the base to connect the laminated substrate to the base. An electronic device according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the vertical terminal lead is connected to the laminate substrate via a conductive adhesive. An electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the conductive adhesive is solder. An electronic device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the laminated substrate has a recess for connecting the vertical terminal leads of the base to the laminated substrate. An electronic device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the recess comprises a semicircular cut in the laminate substrate comprising the conductive material. An electronic device according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the prepreg insulation layer is disposed between the intermediate layers of the laminated substrate. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the insulating prepreg can withstand a high voltage between 1 kVDC and 20 kVDC. An electronic device according to any one of claims 10 to 11, wherein the thickness of the insulating prepreg has a minimum value between 0.10 mm and 0.30 mm. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the one or more terminals of the base are configured to be surface mounted on the substrate. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the conductive trace comprises copper. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the conductive traces have a width dimension between 0.10 mm and 0.30 mm. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the conductive traces have a thickness dimension between 0.01 mm and 0.07 mm. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the core and the laminate substrate are inserted into and attached to the positioning posts of the base by an adhesive. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the adhesive is an epoxy resin. An electronic device according to any one of claims 17 to 18, wherein an arcuate opening is disposed on the positioning posts for dispensing the adhesive to attach the base, laminate substrate and core. An electronic device comprises: an electrical component; and a base, the base having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the electrical component coupled to the first side of the base, the base having one or more terminals on the second side for electrical connection to a substrate and configured to be surface mounted to the substrate. An electronic device as described in claim 20, wherein the electronic device includes at least one of a transformer, an inductor, and any other suitable type of electronic device. An electronic device according to any one of claims 20 to 21, wherein the electrical component is composed of a core and a laminated substrate, the core comprising a top core portion and a bottom core portion. An electronic device according to claim 22, wherein the laminate substrate has conductive traces, the laminate substrate includes a gap to allow the top core portion and the bottom core portion to be attached to each other through the gap. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the middle layer of the laminated substrate alternates in a primary-secondary-primary winding structure to reduce leakage inductance. An electronic device according to any one of claims 20 to 24, wherein the base has at least one vertical terminal lead configured to connect the base to the laminate substrate. An electronic device according to claim 25, wherein the base has six vertical terminal leads, three of which are respectively located on a first opposite side and a second opposite side of the base to connect the laminated substrate to the base. An electronic device according to any one of claims 25 to 26, wherein the vertical terminal lead is connected to the substrate via a conductive adhesive. An electronic device according to claim 27, wherein the conductive adhesive is solder. An electronic device according to any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein the laminated substrate has a recess for connecting the vertical terminal leads of the base to the laminated substrate. An electronic device as described in any of claims 25 to 28, wherein the recess comprises a semicircular cut in the laminate substrate comprising the conductive material. An electronic device according to claim 24, wherein a prepreg insulation layer is disposed between the intermediate layers of the laminated substrate. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the insulating prepreg can withstand a high voltage between 1 kVDC and 20 kVDC. An electronic device according to any one of claims 31 to 32, wherein the thickness of the insulating prepreg has a minimum value between 0.05 mm and 0.50 mm. An electronic device according to any one of claims 23 to 33, wherein the gap is a through gap. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the conductive traces comprise copper. An electronic device as described in claim 35, wherein the conductive traces have a size of between 0.30 mm and 0.10 mm in width and between 0.05 mm and 0.03 mm in thickness. An electronic device according to any one of claims 20 to 36, wherein the electrical component is positioned and attached to the positioning post of the base by an adhesive. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein the adhesive is an epoxy resin. An electronic device according to any one of claims 37 to 38, wherein an arcuate opening is disposed on the positioning posts for dispensing the adhesive to attach the base, laminate substrate and core. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, the method comprising the following steps: Passing a top core portion and a bottom core portion of a core through a gap in a laminate substrate and fitting around the periphery of the laminate substrate; Mounting at least one of the core and the laminate substrate on a first side of a base; and Connecting one or more pins on a second side of the base to an external device, the one or more pins comprising a terminal on the second side opposite to the first side of the base. The method of claim 40, wherein the electronic device may include at least one of a transformer, an inductor, and any other suitable type of electronic device. The method according to any one of claims 40 to 41 further includes the following step: connecting the top core portion and the bottom core portion to each other. A method according to any one of claims 40 to 42, wherein the leads further include a vertical straight lead extending non-parallel to the terminal. The method according to any one of claims 40 to 43 further comprises the step of connecting the laminate substrate to at least one vertical terminal lead of the base. The method of claim 44 further comprises the step of connecting the laminate substrate to the vertical terminal leads of the base by a conductive adhesive. The method of claim 45, wherein the conductive adhesive is solder. The method of any one of claims 40 to 46 further comprises the step of fastening the core and the laminate substrate to the base by an adhesive. The method of claim 47, wherein the adhesive is an epoxy resin.